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[cincygrad]

They finish @HOU, CAR, @DEN, CIN, and @BAL... All of those teams aside from Cincy are playing for the playoffs and seeding. If they only win 1 or 2, it should be easy for the ownership to move on. If they spring an upset or two and win 3-4 of those games, I don't think there is anyway for them to get rid of Williams. He strikes me as the kind of coach you would love to have in an interim position - Lighting fires under everyone's ass, making fake controversies, playing the disrespect card, etc. But that shit has never worked over a full season or two. This will be interesting to watch.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

I was talking about the CLE coaching situation with someone on the general board the other day... And I was confident in saying there's not really any way they could fuck-up the new coaching hire....

After reading this post I can now say that I was wrong. lol

I'm disappointed in you face. It's Cleveland, of course they can fuck it up and you should've known that.

 

[cincygrad]

I mean, the Browns wanted to interview Condoleezza Rice for the position. Anything is possible with that franchise.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

They finish @HOU, CAR, @DEN, CIN, and @BAL... All of those teams aside from Cincy are playing for the playoffs and seeding. If they only win 1 or 2, it should be easy for the ownership to move on. If they spring an upset or two and win 3-4 of those games, I don't think there is anyway for them to get rid of Williams. He strikes me as the kind of coach you would love to have in an interim position - Lighting fires under everyone's ass, making fake controversies, playing the disrespect card, etc. But that shit has never worked over a full season or two. This will be interesting to watch.

Spot on...I remember Williams well for his time in NO and I'm sure he was with a couple more teams since being re-instated. I would almost ignore any short term gains they make with Willams...if they hire this guy...they will peak at maybe 9-7 and fall back within 3 yrs.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I mean, the Browns wanted to interview Condoleezza Rice for the position. Anything is possible with that franchise.

I thought that was just a joke because she’s a big fan? Or was that really serious?

 

[cincygrad]

I thought that was just a joke because she’s a big fan? Or was that really serious?

I'm assuming that it was overblown and not serious.... But then again they did recently believe Deshon Kizer was a franchise qb so, you know....

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I'm disappointed in you face. It's Cleveland, of course they can fuck it up and you should've known that.

Guess it depends on what you call a fuck-up!

I was saying that thinking sub-500 seasons is classified as a fuck-up. Just based on talent alone I find it hard to believe even an average Jeff-Fisher-esque coach would fail to that point. So long as the coordinators stick with the program & develop the schemes based off of the talent they have in the building, they will be just fine. Now that they finally have a QB, hiring a coach with solid foundations that would help guide Mayfield is probably the biggest key to success.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I'm assuming that it was overblown and not serious.... But then again they did recently believe Deshon Kizer was a franchise qb so, you know....

Kizer, Weeden... Brady Quinn & Colt McCoy... etc

I’d probably take Kizer over anyone in that lot. The QB drought in Cleveland caused a lot of bad decisions.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm assuming that it was overblown and not serious.... But then again they did recently believe Deshon Kizer was a franchise qb so, you know....

With ATL playing CLE this yr, obviously that was a topic and a local sportstalk guy reported comments from her side, and it really sounds like the team was making a publicity gesture to her because she is a life long Browns fan and obviously a public figure, but it doesn't sound like it was serious at all.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Bengals Place QB Andy Dalton On Injured Reserve - Steelers Depot

I think we all knew this, but it's official Dalton's season is done...does that give Brown the built in injury excuse to retain Lewis yet again if they don't make the playoffs after this start?

Yeah...we know the elephant is in the room and will likely be the successor if Lewis himself steps down or Mike Brown grows a pair.

 

[cincygrad]

Bengals Place QB Andy Dalton On Injured Reserve - Steelers Depot

I think we all knew this, but it's official Dalton's season is done...does that give Brown the built in injury excuse to retain Lewis yet again if they don't make the playoffs after this start?

Yeah...we know the elephant is in the room and will likely be the successor if Lewis himself steps down or Mike Brown grows a pair.

Injuries have been tough for the Bengals this year. That is a true statement. But, even fully healthy, the Bengals were not much more than a 6th seed in the AFC. This is not acceptable for a team with a veteran qb and two straight drafts with high picks. Moreover, the team isn't improving in any important spot....It's just sorta treading water.

But you're right.... Brown will let injuries be an excuse to maintain the status quo. Oh, and the idea of Hue as head coach is just comical. I think I'd rather have Marvin.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Injuries have been tough for the Bengals this year. That is a true statement. But, even fully healthy, the Bengals were not much more than a 6th seed in the AFC. This is not acceptable for a team with a veteran qb and two straight drafts with high picks. Moreover, the team isn't improving in any important spot....It's just sorta treading water.

But you're right.... Brown will let injuries be an excuse to maintain the status quo. Oh, and the idea of Hue as head coach is just comical. I think I'd rather have Marvin.

Since the most recent peak of the 2014 season...they have revamped the OL and obviously some tweaking here and there, but the bulk of the key OFC and DEF players has been the same, yet the Bengals have struggled to get back to that dbl digit win mark.

IDK...I understand loyalty, patience, etc. but your point in bold kind sums it up...under Lewis, the team was built up, had a good consistent run from '11 to '15. These last 3 seasons unfortunately look like the trend...maybe he get it back over .500 but...boy, when is enough, enough.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Since the most recent peak of the 2014 season...they have revamped the OL and obviously some tweaking here and there, but the bulk of the key OFC and DEF players has been the same, yet the Bengals have struggled to get back to that dbl digit win mark.

IDK...I understand loyalty, patience, etc. but your point in bold kind sums it up...under Lewis, the team was built up, had a good consistent run from '11 to '15. These last 3 seasons unfortunately look like the trend...maybe he get it back over .500 but...boy, when is enough, enough.

IDK how anyone would be able to support Marvin at this point. We've been saying it for at least a decade, that the Bengals have been the most talented group in the division. Just an undisciplined group year after year.

IMO they really messed up letting Whitworth, Zeitler, etc from the O-line go without investing back into the group. I think it was just 2 seasons or so ago, but they were in the prime years of their nucleus and they let the best parts of their O-line walk. We knew it was going to present a problem. They gambled by again trying the once-failed project at LT in Ogbuehi (sp?). Last offseason they finally realized it was a problem by drafting & trading for O-lineman. But it's not going to change much in the end because Marvin Lewis will continue to hold them back.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

IDK how anyone would be able to support Marvin at this point. We've been saying it for at least a decade, that the Bengals have been the most talented group in the division. Just an undisciplined group year after year.

IMO they really messed up letting Whitworth, Zeitler, etc from the O-line go without investing back into the group. I think it was just 2 seasons or so ago, but they were in the prime years of their nucleus and they let the best parts of their O-line walk. We knew it was going to present a problem. They gambled by again trying the once-failed project at LT in Ogbuehi (sp?). Last offseason they finally realized it was a problem by drafting & trading for O-lineman. But it's not going to change much in the end because Marvin Lewis will continue to hold them back.

Yeah...they drafted two OTs pretty high, my guess with the intent they were not going to give Whitworth a 3rd contract and would transition to these young guys...the problem was they either missed on the talent or they didn't have a coach Munch coaching them up...either way, they were not ready to take over and that was a lost year basically. They have really been struggling to regain their form since then, and also the undisciplined play that Lewis harbored at the very least, but I stop shy of saying he condoned it.

Lewis was kinda like Dungy in Tampa...pretty good coach, but it really looked like the team had peaked and needed a change. With Tampa, that turned out to be true. IMO Dungy needed a QB like Manning to ultimately win it all and was not going to do it in Tampa.

Lewis got the team to a certain point and imo peaked as well. Idk if Dalton is ever going to win a SB, but talented enough to have won at least a couple playoff games. At some point Brown will have to see that Lewis is more part of the problem than part of the solution.

 

[cincygrad]

If you look at it, the downfall of the Bengals roster was two very bad drafts in 2014 and 2015. If they develop the players from those drafts, the losses of Jones, Sanu, Whitworth, and Zeitler could be absorbed. If your team is built through the draft, you simply can't completely wiff two years in a row without consequence. In contrast, the talented 2015 roster was built through strong drafts from 2010-2012.

The most plausible explanation I have heard as to why the Brown family will not replace Lewis is that they are afraid of the change that would be demanded from a new head coach. They figure that if they are going to get a coach that is at the very least as good as Lewis, that coach would want certain organizational changes in place going forward. Any coach that would just sign on for business as usual would be a bargain basement type of hire that probably isn't as good as Lewis anyway. A prime example of this would be Hue Jackson -- Hue might take the job, but he's not an upgrade over Lewis. Brown has made some changes under Lewis over the years and realizes that another guy would want even more. That's why I think we're stuck.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

For as much shit as I enjoyingly give Dalton, I have to admit that I think he’s an underrated QB. His Achilles heel used to be primetime football, but I think over the years he has played a lot better in those games. Enough so that he should no longer be the punching bag that he continues to be. But the status quo had been set too many times that it was too easy for people to blame Dalton. The recent playoff losses were not a result of Dalton playing poorly. Rather his team & coaches have let him down more than he has let down the team. I could be remembering that incorrectly but that’s what’s I’ve felt for a while now. Honestly if it weren’t for the 0 playoff wins I think you could easily say he’s a comparable QB to the likes of say Eli Manning, or Joe Flacco. Dalton has proven more than capable of going on hot streaks just like Eli & Flacco have done that made them look like superstars. Gotta admit that it bugs me that I have always liked Dalton more than Flacco as an NFL QB and felt like he deserves more recognition.

I always wonder what Dalton’s career would be like if he had been drafted by a different team. Just look at the QBs that were drafted in his 2011 class: Cam Newton (CAR), Jake Locker (TEN), Blaine Gabbert (JAX), Christian Ponder (MIN), and even Colin Kaepernick (SF). Excluding Carolina (because Newton was the obvious choice that year), can you imagine if Dalton had wound up in TEN, JAX, MIN, or SF. The Titans were being coached by none other than Mike Munchak at the time. Munch ultimately fell victim to being tied to the inadequate Jake Locker. I bet if you asked him today he’d say he should have drafted Dalton that year. Jags were a dwindling team under Del Rio that year but can you imagine Dalton playing behind the Jax defense of today? Easy super bowl contender. Same could be said for MIN. SF probably would have been the most immediate road to success at that point in time.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The most plausible explanation I have heard as to why the Brown family will not replace Lewis is that they are afraid of the change that would be demanded from a new head coach. They figure that if they are going to get a coach that is at the very least as good as Lewis, that coach would want certain organizational changes in place going forward. Any coach that would just sign on for business as usual would be a bargain basement type of hire that probably isn't as good as Lewis anyway. A prime example of this would be Hue Jackson -- Hue might take the job, but he's not an upgrade over Lewis. Brown has made some changes under Lewis over the years and realizes that another guy would want even more. That's why I think we're stuck.

That in bold is spot on....Jerrah down in DAL is going through a very similar situation...he has a coach that's also willing to accept the status quo.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

For as much shit as I enjoyingly give Dalton, I have to admit that I think he’s an underrated QB. His Achilles heel used to be primetime football, but I think over the years he has played a lot better in those games. Enough so that he should no longer be the punching bag that he continues to be. But the status quo had been set too many times that it was too easy for people to blame Dalton. The recent playoff losses were not a result of Dalton playing poorly. Rather his team & coaches have let him down more than he has let down the team. I could be remembering that incorrectly but that’s what’s I’ve felt for a while now. Honestly if it weren’t for the 0 playoff wins I think you could easily say he’s a comparable QB to the likes of say Eli Manning, or Joe Flacco. Dalton has proven more than capable of going on hot streaks just like Eli & Flacco have done that made them look like superstars. Gotta admit that it bugs me that I have always liked Dalton more than Flacco as an NFL QB and felt like he deserves more recognition.

I always wonder what Dalton’s career would be like if he had been drafted by a different team. Just look at the QBs that were drafted in his 2011 class: Cam Newton (CAR), Jake Locker (TEN), Blaine Gabbert (JAX), Christian Ponder (MIN), and even Colin Kaepernick (SF). Excluding Carolina (because Newton was the obvious choice that year), can you imagine if Dalton had wound up in TEN, JAX, MIN, or SF. The Titans were being coached by none other than Mike Munchak at the time. Munch ultimately fell victim to being tied to the inadequate Jake Locker. I bet if you asked him today he’d say he should have drafted Dalton that year. Jags were a dwindling team under Del Rio that year but can you imagine Dalton playing behind the Jax defense of today? Easy super bowl contender. Same could be said for MIN. SF probably would have been the most immediate road to success at that point in time.

Well...Dalton had one playoff win taken from him by his idiotic teammates.

Definitely underrated, but he's had a lot of talent around him and too many lulls...to date he hasn't gotten that signature win to push him into that Matt Ryanish tier.

 

[cincygrad]

I also think Dalton is underrated, though I'm unsure he is built for the big game. Even with good teams, he often struggled in big moments. I do think he's a better qb than Flacco. Not sure what to make of Eli - I can never really figure out his career.

As for the "what-if" game.... I still can't figure what happened with the 2011 Bengals. They were unanimously predicted as the worst team in the NFL that summer in all power rankings. They were a dumpster fire of epic proportions with the Palmer issue being the most visible of all problems. But they went to the playoffs with a rookie qb.... We know this wasn't all Marvin. So who gets credit? Jay Gruden? AJ Green? Dalton? Would Dalton have had that kind of success with other teams or would he have been Christian Ponder. I honestly don't have a good take here.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I also think Dalton is underrated, though I'm unsure he is built for the big game. Even with good teams, he often struggled in big moments. I do think he's a better qb than Flacco. Not sure what to make of Eli - I can never really figure out his career.

As for the "what-if" game.... I still can't figure what happened with the 2011 Bengals. They were unanimously predicted as the worst team in the NFL that summer in all power rankings. They were a dumpster fire of epic proportions with the Palmer issue being the most visible of all problems. But they went to the playoffs with a rookie qb.... We know this wasn't all Marvin. So who gets credit? Jay Gruden? AJ Green? Dalton? Would Dalton have had that kind of success with other teams or would he have been Christian Ponder. I honestly don't have a good take here.

IMO Dalton would likely have numerous playoff victories on his resume if he had landed in SF, and possibly a ring. Krapperstick got them there and he was a pretty bad QB above the shoulders. Dalton is a much better passer than he was. He may have struggled with JAX & MIN for a while, but imagine him playing with the defenses they have now. He probably would have saved a few coach’s careers too.